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The War of Lost Hearts #3
Mother of Death & Dawn
Tell me, little butterfly, what would you do for love?
In the wake of a crushing defeat, Tisaanah and Maxatarius have been ripped apart. Tisaanah is desperate to rescue Max from his imprisonment, even as her people’s fight for freedom grows more treacherous. But within the walls of Ilyzath, Max’s mind is a shadow of what it once was… leaving his past a mystery and his future at the mercy of Ara’s new, ruthless queen.
Meanwhile, in the Fey lands, Aefe has been dragged back into this world by a king who vows to destroy civilizations in her name. But even as her past returns to claim her, her former self is a stranger.
Tisaanah, Max, and Aefe are thrust into the center of a cataclysm between the human and Fey worlds. The unique magic they share is key to either winning the war, or ending it.
But that power demands sacrifice. Tisaanah may be forced to choose between love and duty. Max cannot forge his future without confronting his past. And Aefe must decide between reclaiming who she was, or embracing who she has become.
The choices they make will either reshape this world forever…or end it..
In the harrowing finale of the War of Lost Hearts trilogy, a tale of romance, magic, vengeance, and redemption comes to a close -- perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Miranda Honfleur, and Danielle Jenson.
In the wake of a crushing defeat, Tisaanah and Maxatarius have been ripped apart. Tisaanah is desperate to rescue Max from his imprisonment, even as her people’s fight for freedom grows more treacherous. But within the walls of Ilyzath, Max’s mind is a shadow of what it once was… leaving his past a mystery and his future at the mercy of Ara’s new, ruthless queen.
Meanwhile, in the Fey lands, Aefe has been dragged back into this world by a king who vows to destroy civilizations in her name. But even as her past returns to claim her, her former self is a stranger.
Tisaanah, Max, and Aefe are thrust into the center of a cataclysm between the human and Fey worlds. The unique magic they share is key to either winning the war, or ending it.
But that power demands sacrifice. Tisaanah may be forced to choose between love and duty. Max cannot forge his future without confronting his past. And Aefe must decide between reclaiming who she was, or embracing who she has become.
The choices they make will either reshape this world forever…or end it..
In the harrowing finale of the War of Lost Hearts trilogy, a tale of romance, magic, vengeance, and redemption comes to a close -- perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Miranda Honfleur, and Danielle Jenson.
22 pages, Audible Audio
First published February 10, 2022
92952 people want to read
About the author
Carissa Broadbent
32 books45.3k followersI've been concerning teachers and parents with mercilessly grim tales since I was roughly nine years old. Since then, my stories have gotten (slightly) less depressing and (hopefully a lot?) more readable. Today, I write fantasy novels with a heaping dose of badass ladies and a big pinch of romance.
When I'm not writing, I'm working at my day job in cybersecurity marketing, watching too many movies, or drawing. I live with my fiance, one very well behaved rabbit, one very poorly behaved rabbit, and one perpetually skeptical cat in Rhode Island.
When I'm not writing, I'm working at my day job in cybersecurity marketing, watching too many movies, or drawing. I live with my fiance, one very well behaved rabbit, one very poorly behaved rabbit, and one perpetually skeptical cat in Rhode Island.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 8,674 reviews
August 18, 2023
What the actual fuckery! Emotions destroyed, my soul barely intact, eyes as dry as my elbow (I’ve ran out of tears), but my heart has never felt fuller. 🥹
I can’t even begin to think about writing a review.
One of the best fantasy romance series I’ve had the pleasure of reading. This is how you write one, quite frankly.
And though this series ruined me in every way, I can’t wait for the day I reread it all over again.
Review to come? Maybe. Maybe not. I’m feeling too discombobulated to do anything right now.
““I love you,” I whispered—because what else could I offer him? I could not erase his past. I could not take away his grief. But I could love him, no matter what, always. Was that enough?”
I can’t even begin to think about writing a review.
One of the best fantasy romance series I’ve had the pleasure of reading. This is how you write one, quite frankly.
And though this series ruined me in every way, I can’t wait for the day I reread it all over again.
Review to come? Maybe. Maybe not. I’m feeling too discombobulated to do anything right now.
““I love you,” I whispered—because what else could I offer him? I could not erase his past. I could not take away his grief. But I could love him, no matter what, always. Was that enough?”
February 8, 2022
2 days from release! Will I rate my own book 5 stars? You know what -- sure I will! I love these characters and this story so deeply. This trilogy has changed my life. I am so excited to send it out into the world. I hope you love it.
In the meantime, if you need to brush up on the previous books in the series to refresh your memory, I have SPOILERY recaps on my website!
Daughter of No Worlds here: http://carissabroadbentbooks.com/2022...
Children of Fallen Gods here: http://carissabroadbentbooks.com/2022...
I hope this helps and I hope you love the book! <3
---
My friends... we have a cover, and a new release date. (February! Mark it!)
I didn't have too much to say about this before since I myself truly did not know how I felt about it. But now I can safely say I am so excited to share the final installment of Tisaanah, Max, and Aefe's journey with you. I promise it won't hurt too much. <3
In the meantime, if you need to brush up on the previous books in the series to refresh your memory, I have SPOILERY recaps on my website!
Daughter of No Worlds here: http://carissabroadbentbooks.com/2022...
Children of Fallen Gods here: http://carissabroadbentbooks.com/2022...
I hope this helps and I hope you love the book! <3
---
My friends... we have a cover, and a new release date. (February! Mark it!)
I didn't have too much to say about this before since I myself truly did not know how I felt about it. But now I can safely say I am so excited to share the final installment of Tisaanah, Max, and Aefe's journey with you. I promise it won't hurt too much. <3
July 13, 2024
I was provided an e-copy of the book by the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
✅ Gorgeous cover
✅ Max and Tisaanah ❤️
✅ The other characters
✅ Plot and pace
✅ Action
✅ Villains
✅ Politics and war
✅ Double crossings and betrayals
❗️❗️ Trigger warnings: torture, war, and deaths
I took my time reading this one because I wanted to fully enjoy it before the adventure was over. This series was such a great and unexpected surprise! This final book was the perfect ending to Max, Tisaanah, and Aefe’s journey. The first part was a little slower (but in no way long or boring), but the second half was just a crazy mix of action, tension, romance, and politics and I adore the way everything unfolded in the end.
Max has been a prisoner of Ilyzath for a few months now, as Tisaanah desperately tries to find a way to save him, while also being a leader of the slaves' rebellion in Threll. As if that wasn’t enough, Caduan and the faes are at war with the humans, alliances are made and broken, and Nura is being even crazier than she was before.
Tisaanah is one of my all-time favorite main characters. She is so strong, resilient, and determined to make the world a better place and to protect her people, and she never loses that hope, even after being beaten and tortured, after seeing death and destruction, she always keeps her goal in mind and fights to attain it. She is an amazing selfless woman, full of hope and kindness, and love, and I wish I could meet her in real life.
Max is an amazing character too. Besides being a perfect -grumpy- book boyfriend, his character gets better and stronger as the series progresses. He is far from being perfect, but that only makes him feel so much more real. Poor Max suffered a lot in this book, I wanted someone to just hug him, hold him tight and never let him go.
Sammerin and Tisaanah becoming friends and being each other’s strength and support was so wholesome. I still need more of Sammerin’s calm and reassuring presence. I want him to have his own book, even if it’s a short one. He is so quiet and almost invisible when Max and Tisaanah are there, but at the same time, they wouldn’t be where they are now if it wasn’t for Sammerin’s steady support. He saved their asses more than once!
Tisaanah and Max have such a strong and sweet bond. They support each other, they communicate and they work through their problems together. They are partners. There are also a few explicit and hot moments, but what I really loved about them is how good they were for each other, and how we got the chance to watch them both grow.
Brayan is now involved in the plot! We have TWO Farliones in this book! I would really like it if he had his own short story or spin-off, I was intrigued by his character which reminded me so much of Max in the first book in some ways.
Nura was not as present in this book, but the few times she was there were enough for me to hate her even more. She has no redeeming qualities, she is a vain, cold-hearted bitch that thinks the fact that she wants to protect her country is enough to justify all the horrible things she’s done and is still doing. I hate her SO MUCH (which means the author did a great job when developing her character), she is the worst.
I have mixed feelings about Caduan… I really liked him in the second book, but while I understand why he behaves this way and why his vendetta against humans is a necessary part of the amazing plot, he is so single-mindedly trying to win and eradicate the humans that he was hurting so many people around him without realizing it.
Aefe still had her chapters in this book and I found myself being really involved in her story. She changed SO MUCH if we compare her to Reshaye when it was inside Max or even Tisaanah. After being Reshaye for 500 years, she had to learn to be her own person with her own feelings and she had to deal with the overwhelming emotions of finally being alone in her head and being free, while also being involved in Caduan’s plans. Aefe is a broken person, but she still managed to grow and become a better person in this book.
0.5 Ashen Son ⭐⭐⭐
1. Daughter of No Worlds ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
2. Children of Fallen Gods ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Follow me on Instagram 🙂
✅ Gorgeous cover
✅ Max and Tisaanah ❤️
✅ The other characters
✅ Plot and pace
✅ Action
✅ Villains
✅ Politics and war
✅ Double crossings and betrayals
❗️❗️ Trigger warnings: torture, war, and deaths
Tell me, little butterfly, what would you do for love?
(…)
Tell me, little butterfly, what would you do to get him back?
Anything. Everything.
I took my time reading this one because I wanted to fully enjoy it before the adventure was over. This series was such a great and unexpected surprise! This final book was the perfect ending to Max, Tisaanah, and Aefe’s journey. The first part was a little slower (but in no way long or boring), but the second half was just a crazy mix of action, tension, romance, and politics and I adore the way everything unfolded in the end.
It’s not all that hard to keep yourself sane, so long as you’re flexible with your definition of the term.
Max has been a prisoner of Ilyzath for a few months now, as Tisaanah desperately tries to find a way to save him, while also being a leader of the slaves' rebellion in Threll. As if that wasn’t enough, Caduan and the faes are at war with the humans, alliances are made and broken, and Nura is being even crazier than she was before.
“You’re willing to sacrifice everything you have for your people. But fighting for their future won’t be any easier for you if you don’t give yourself a future to fight for.”
Tisaanah is one of my all-time favorite main characters. She is so strong, resilient, and determined to make the world a better place and to protect her people, and she never loses that hope, even after being beaten and tortured, after seeing death and destruction, she always keeps her goal in mind and fights to attain it. She is an amazing selfless woman, full of hope and kindness, and love, and I wish I could meet her in real life.
"Tell me, my ashen son, do you know how much a million memories weigh?
How about one?
It weighs enough to break a spine. It weighs enough to break a soul."
Max is an amazing character too. Besides being a perfect -grumpy- book boyfriend, his character gets better and stronger as the series progresses. He is far from being perfect, but that only makes him feel so much more real. Poor Max suffered a lot in this book, I wanted someone to just hug him, hold him tight and never let him go.
I can’t just… give up.” “I know. But you’re only one person.” Despite myself, I choked a bitter laugh. “People are always telling me that. I don’t understand why.” Sammerin gave me a deadpan look out of the corner of his eye and released a long exhale of smoke. “I wonder indeed.”
Sammerin and Tisaanah becoming friends and being each other’s strength and support was so wholesome. I still need more of Sammerin’s calm and reassuring presence. I want him to have his own book, even if it’s a short one. He is so quiet and almost invisible when Max and Tisaanah are there, but at the same time, they wouldn’t be where they are now if it wasn’t for Sammerin’s steady support. He saved their asses more than once!
“When Max believes in something, he gives it his whole self. It’s his greatest strength and greatest weakness. And you, Tisaanah, were the first thing he had believed in for a long, long time. It takes more than four walls to break that kind of faith.”
Tisaanah and Max have such a strong and sweet bond. They support each other, they communicate and they work through their problems together. They are partners. There are also a few explicit and hot moments, but what I really loved about them is how good they were for each other, and how we got the chance to watch them both grow.
If I hadn’t been trying so hard to keep myself together, I might have found it a little funny that Brayan’s tactic for dealing with unwelcome emotion was running off to go stab things in the woods. Farlione men. Sensitive to the very end.
Brayan is now involved in the plot! We have TWO Farliones in this book! I would really like it if he had his own short story or spin-off, I was intrigued by his character which reminded me so much of Max in the first book in some ways.
She had no remorse for what she had done. She was a broken creature who weaponized her shattered edges and used them to draw blood over blood over blood.
Nura was not as present in this book, but the few times she was there were enough for me to hate her even more. She has no redeeming qualities, she is a vain, cold-hearted bitch that thinks the fact that she wants to protect her country is enough to justify all the horrible things she’s done and is still doing. I hate her SO MUCH (which means the author did a great job when developing her character), she is the worst.
I have mixed feelings about Caduan… I really liked him in the second book, but while I understand why he behaves this way and why his vendetta against humans is a necessary part of the amazing plot, he is so single-mindedly trying to win and eradicate the humans that he was hurting so many people around him without realizing it.
"I have left a mark upon the world. I have written a new story. And I have him. Love is worth creating for. Worth dying for."
Aefe still had her chapters in this book and I found myself being really involved in her story. She changed SO MUCH if we compare her to Reshaye when it was inside Max or even Tisaanah. After being Reshaye for 500 years, she had to learn to be her own person with her own feelings and she had to deal with the overwhelming emotions of finally being alone in her head and being free, while also being involved in Caduan’s plans. Aefe is a broken person, but she still managed to grow and become a better person in this book.
"It begins with two souls who find themselves suddenly, utterly alone."
"It ends with two souls who create a future together."
0.5 Ashen Son ⭐⭐⭐
1. Daughter of No Worlds ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
2. Children of Fallen Gods ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Follow me on Instagram 🙂
February 12, 2022
"It begins with two souls who find themselves suddenly, utterly alone."
"It ends with two souls who create a future together."
How can an ending be this perfect? 🥺 Even when I was over 50% into this book I still had no idea how everything would come together but damn that finale was so beautiful
✅ Do you like intricate worlds full of magic and diverse cultures?
✅ Do you enjoy reading about epic wars, betrayals and political intrigue?
"Look," I snarled in her ear. "Look at the country that you worked so hard to steal. When I kill you, this country will fall. And I want that to be the last thing you see. I want you to watch your empire die."
✅ Do you like when the line between good and bad is blurred because everyone is the hero of their own story?
"I despise what he is doing in the name of vengeance. I despise what he is doing to the world, to all of us. But I understand him. At times, that seems like the cruelest part in all of this. We all feel the same things, and we will still die trying to kill each other for it."
✅ Are you okay with some darker and heavier themes that come with war and slavery?
"What did they do to you?"
"Nothing I couldn't survive."
✅ Do you like characters that are strong and resilient and will go to the end of the world to protect those they love?
"I give you my partnership," I said, at last. "I promise that whatever road you walk, I will walk it beside you. Whatever challenge you encounter, I will face it with you. You will never fight alone again."
✅ Are you a complete sucker for a swoon-worthy romance where the characters have to defy all odds to be together?
"If I was a stronger man, I could be patient. I could take my time to re-familiarize myself with her slowly, inch by inch, over the course of hours. Her hips lurched, and she fell back onto the bed, pulling me with her. Our kisses never broke. I reached for her shirt, closed my fingers lightly around the seam. I decided that I was fucking weak."
I could go on and on about all the amazing things about this series, but if you answered yes to one or more of the above, then you desperately need to read this series because it delivers everything you could want in an epic high fantasy romance. It's a rare occurrence that I give every book in a series five stars but this deserved it!
Steam Scale: 🔥🔥/3
Swoon Scale: ❤️❤️❤️/3
[I was provided an arc of the book by the author - thank you so so much 💖💖 All thoughts and opinions are my own]
June 21, 2025
˗ˏˋ 4 ★ ˎˊ˗ (major spoilers below !!)
being not only privy to both sides of a war but also personally invested in the characters on each side was a wonderfully harrowing experience. like carissa didn’t give us lovers as enemies. she gave us two destroy everything for each other couples as enemies, making it very clear from the outset that one must die for the other to live — and that was infinitely more gutting.
i mean aefe and caduan have the most gripping, sympathetic villain arcs i have ever seen, and we didn’t just watch it happen; we lived it with them. fym he tore apart himself, tore apart the world to avenge her? fym he wanted her so, so desperately but knew he was destined for death and didn’t want to let himself too close to her because he knew how it would break her when he died, so he kept himself away as long as he possibly could — but ultimately the need for her was too much to deny? fym he ruined himself and all that he had built just to give her the chance to be all that had been ripped away from her? fym they went through that door together, and she finally loved the way he said her name, the way he saw her? their love story broke my heart into one million pieces, and i will never recover all of them. and of course, a moment for the beautiful love story between maxantarius i would know you even without my memories farlione and tisaanah after a life of sacrifice, i would still give up anything, even us, for you to know peace vytezic.
this entire trilogy was very character driven and that was so rewarding, especially the truly morally grey characters among the cast. buttt the overall plot points, while culminating in a tearful climax, were a lil slow / clunky at times which kept me from full sending five stars. you could definitely tell where carissa’s heart was and where it wasn’t as you went through the book, but that didn’t take too much away from my enjoyment because she gave us such unique characters and relationships between them. the dynamics ?! maxantarius and tisaanah. ishqa (who deserved better) and meajqa. sammerin and maxantarius. brayan and maxantarius. aefe and her mother. nura and the world. caduan and aefe. caduan and aefe!!!! golly, actually if you see me bumping this to five stars as i sit with it longer just pretend you didn’t<3 overall what an enjoyable, heartrending trilogy. this will be living rent free for a long while yet.
eta: sorry but we had three separate villains who fucked with deep magic. zeryth, who cracked immediately under the pressure. nura, who was unhinged within months. but caduan — caduan began fraying but he held it together, because his motivation was vengeance, yes, but above all, love. above all, aefe. they could never make me hate you caduan, my tragic fay king. not even for a moment.
bars:
✧ ”five hundred years is a very long time,” he said, at last. “one hundred and eighty thousand days, and i thought of you in every one.”
✧ it was the difference between a house and a home. if the building burns down, something is still there that makes it home.
✧ ”do you fear death?” [ . . . ] “i fear only what it could take from me.”
✧ ”you terrify me because you make me want what i cannot have.” [ . . . ] “there is nothing you can not have.”
✧ ”there is beauty in impermanence. and what sad lives we would live, if we never loved anything we would lose.”
✧ and that, i realized, was the cruelest truth of all. he could not save me. i could not save him.
soundtrack:
♫ adieux — m83
♪ bones— josh record
♫ i, carrion (icarian) — hozier
♪ already gone — sleeping at last
♫ my love mine all mine — mitski
♪ repeat until death — novo amor
being not only privy to both sides of a war but also personally invested in the characters on each side was a wonderfully harrowing experience. like carissa didn’t give us lovers as enemies. she gave us two destroy everything for each other couples as enemies, making it very clear from the outset that one must die for the other to live — and that was infinitely more gutting.
i mean aefe and caduan have the most gripping, sympathetic villain arcs i have ever seen, and we didn’t just watch it happen; we lived it with them. fym he tore apart himself, tore apart the world to avenge her? fym he wanted her so, so desperately but knew he was destined for death and didn’t want to let himself too close to her because he knew how it would break her when he died, so he kept himself away as long as he possibly could — but ultimately the need for her was too much to deny? fym he ruined himself and all that he had built just to give her the chance to be all that had been ripped away from her? fym they went through that door together, and she finally loved the way he said her name, the way he saw her? their love story broke my heart into one million pieces, and i will never recover all of them. and of course, a moment for the beautiful love story between maxantarius i would know you even without my memories farlione and tisaanah after a life of sacrifice, i would still give up anything, even us, for you to know peace vytezic.
this entire trilogy was very character driven and that was so rewarding, especially the truly morally grey characters among the cast. buttt the overall plot points, while culminating in a tearful climax, were a lil slow / clunky at times which kept me from full sending five stars. you could definitely tell where carissa’s heart was and where it wasn’t as you went through the book, but that didn’t take too much away from my enjoyment because she gave us such unique characters and relationships between them. the dynamics ?! maxantarius and tisaanah. ishqa (who deserved better) and meajqa. sammerin and maxantarius. brayan and maxantarius. aefe and her mother. nura and the world. caduan and aefe. caduan and aefe!!!! golly, actually if you see me bumping this to five stars as i sit with it longer just pretend you didn’t<3 overall what an enjoyable, heartrending trilogy. this will be living rent free for a long while yet.
eta: sorry but we had three separate villains who fucked with deep magic. zeryth, who cracked immediately under the pressure. nura, who was unhinged within months. but caduan — caduan began fraying but he held it together, because his motivation was vengeance, yes, but above all, love. above all, aefe. they could never make me hate you caduan, my tragic fay king. not even for a moment.
bars:
✧ ”five hundred years is a very long time,” he said, at last. “one hundred and eighty thousand days, and i thought of you in every one.”
✧ it was the difference between a house and a home. if the building burns down, something is still there that makes it home.
✧ ”do you fear death?” [ . . . ] “i fear only what it could take from me.”
✧ ”you terrify me because you make me want what i cannot have.” [ . . . ] “there is nothing you can not have.”
✧ ”there is beauty in impermanence. and what sad lives we would live, if we never loved anything we would lose.”
✧ and that, i realized, was the cruelest truth of all. he could not save me. i could not save him.
soundtrack:
♫ adieux — m83
♪ bones— josh record
♫ i, carrion (icarian) — hozier
♪ already gone — sleeping at last
♫ my love mine all mine — mitski
♪ repeat until death — novo amor
May 7, 2023
4.5 Stars
I love this trilogy so much!!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Tell me, little butterfly, what would you do for love?
I love this trilogy so much!!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
February 14, 2022
“So yeah, it’s a fire, it’s a goddamn blaze in the dark and you started it,
You started it...
And yeah, it’s a war, it’s the goddamn fight of my life and you started it,
You started it...
And now, I can’t
Stop you putting roots in my dreamland,
My house of stone, your ivy grows,
And now I’m covered in you.”
Ivy by Taylor Swift has been the perfect song on repeat for me as I come to grips with this stunning conclusion to the War of Lost Hearts trilogy. And what a conclusion it was! This series has been such an amazing surprise and at this point, I’ll read anything Carissa writes.
Carissa wields words like Tisaanah wields deep magic - the foreshadowing, the callbacks, the symbolism, the little inside jokes and references between her and the reader - the quality of it all through the entire series blows me away.
Max and Tisaanah have my whole heart - they’re good people but so utterly human. And I love how the antagonists they face are complex, not just black and white caricatures but with motivations of their own that make sense (even in an evil way).
At 75%, I had no idea how the remaining plot threads were going to tie up, but everything came full circle in the most satisfying (and heart-wrenching) way.
All my friends already know I will talk about this series endlessly 😂 I’m like, this book ripped my heart out and made me ugly cry - read it!! And is there really any higher praise? ☺️
~
2/12/22 - Holy shit...review to come once I gather my thoughts. What a conclusion
~
1/25/22 - I HAVE AN ARC of my most anticipated release of the year 😱💖✨
Sorry but everything else on my TBR is gonna wait
You started it...
And yeah, it’s a war, it’s the goddamn fight of my life and you started it,
You started it...
And now, I can’t
Stop you putting roots in my dreamland,
My house of stone, your ivy grows,
And now I’m covered in you.”
Ivy by Taylor Swift has been the perfect song on repeat for me as I come to grips with this stunning conclusion to the War of Lost Hearts trilogy. And what a conclusion it was! This series has been such an amazing surprise and at this point, I’ll read anything Carissa writes.
Carissa wields words like Tisaanah wields deep magic - the foreshadowing, the callbacks, the symbolism, the little inside jokes and references between her and the reader - the quality of it all through the entire series blows me away.
Max and Tisaanah have my whole heart - they’re good people but so utterly human. And I love how the antagonists they face are complex, not just black and white caricatures but with motivations of their own that make sense (even in an evil way).
At 75%, I had no idea how the remaining plot threads were going to tie up, but everything came full circle in the most satisfying (and heart-wrenching) way.
All my friends already know I will talk about this series endlessly 😂 I’m like, this book ripped my heart out and made me ugly cry - read it!! And is there really any higher praise? ☺️
~
2/12/22 - Holy shit...review to come once I gather my thoughts. What a conclusion
~
1/25/22 - I HAVE AN ARC of my most anticipated release of the year 😱💖✨
Sorry but everything else on my TBR is gonna wait
August 21, 2023
3⭐️ a bit of a let down by the end of the series. i definitely liked book 1 and 2 better, this felt a bit repetitive even with aefe's storyline
***
okay, i'm going to need tisaanah to stop getting kidnapped by enemy houses and max risking his life to get her back 😭
***
okay, i'm going to need tisaanah to stop getting kidnapped by enemy houses and max risking his life to get her back 😭
April 20, 2023
i haven't been this relieved to be done with a series in quite a while, to be honest. frankly, i should've dnf'ed this series after book one but it was so easy and engaging that i just kept going. the fun of the plot made me look past several issues i had with book one (and book two), but when i got to the series finale, there were too many issues for me to look past anymore.
i think my main problem stems from the fact that this entire series is so incredibly convoluted and fast-paced. especially in a fantasy *romance*, i need to form an emotional connection with the main characters and be invested in their story. this, unfortunately, never happened for me. although i liked the concepts behind these characters, i didn't feel any chemistry between the hero and heroine at all. i was hoping for more character development in books 2 and 3 because they're both quite lengthy, but i only got more and more never-ending plot.
tisaanah as a main character was also very difficult for me to root for. she's savior complex personified, always the best and most powerful and most unique, no flaws to be detected (except she can't dance, apparently). after a while, her constant need to help everyone and sacrifice herself for "the greater good" got incredibly annoying.
especially book 3 was filled to the brim with battles and fight scenes (without any casualties or stakes, of course) while completely neglecting character work and slow moments. i like the idea behind the plot – it was actually the main factor that made me want to continue after book one – but even that lost its magic as the books grew more and more convoluted and messy.
one particular thing that kept aggravating me was the writing style. broadbent had a tendency to repeat the same words over and over again for dramatic effect. if i ever come across "a room of white and white and white" again in any other book, i'm probably going to yeet it out the window.
the ending itself was satisfying but by then i was just completely over the story and these characters. i'm glad this series helped me fulfill several prompts for magical readathon, though apart from that i kind of wish i had never continued. i've been trying to find fantasy romance with an actually decent plot for ages and thought this might be it, so i'm very sad it didn't turn out to be a new personal favourite. it is what it is i guess🤡
i think my main problem stems from the fact that this entire series is so incredibly convoluted and fast-paced. especially in a fantasy *romance*, i need to form an emotional connection with the main characters and be invested in their story. this, unfortunately, never happened for me. although i liked the concepts behind these characters, i didn't feel any chemistry between the hero and heroine at all. i was hoping for more character development in books 2 and 3 because they're both quite lengthy, but i only got more and more never-ending plot.
tisaanah as a main character was also very difficult for me to root for. she's savior complex personified, always the best and most powerful and most unique, no flaws to be detected (except she can't dance, apparently). after a while, her constant need to help everyone and sacrifice herself for "the greater good" got incredibly annoying.
especially book 3 was filled to the brim with battles and fight scenes (without any casualties or stakes, of course) while completely neglecting character work and slow moments. i like the idea behind the plot – it was actually the main factor that made me want to continue after book one – but even that lost its magic as the books grew more and more convoluted and messy.
one particular thing that kept aggravating me was the writing style. broadbent had a tendency to repeat the same words over and over again for dramatic effect. if i ever come across "a room of white and white and white" again in any other book, i'm probably going to yeet it out the window.
the ending itself was satisfying but by then i was just completely over the story and these characters. i'm glad this series helped me fulfill several prompts for magical readathon, though apart from that i kind of wish i had never continued. i've been trying to find fantasy romance with an actually decent plot for ages and thought this might be it, so i'm very sad it didn't turn out to be a new personal favourite. it is what it is i guess🤡
August 17, 2025
No matter how hard I tried, I found it impossible to immerse myself in any aspect of this third book. The writing did not improve, still all the characters lacked depth. Even the main part of the story has no details about a lot of things. I had so many questions, but really, I just hoped that by the end, I would find something to make up for all the time wasted on this ridiculous series.
Anyway it almost felt as if this third installment was hastily written and published merely to bring the series to a conclusion. Thank God, somehow I mustered the strength to read through and complete this disappointing experience.
Anyway it almost felt as if this third installment was hastily written and published merely to bring the series to a conclusion. Thank God, somehow I mustered the strength to read through and complete this disappointing experience.
October 25, 2025
I
AM
NOT
OKAY.
I
NEED
TO
YAP.
ILOVETHISTRILOGYSFMMM
(POTENTIAL RTC WHEN I'M COHERENT ENOUGH)😭😭😭
AM
NOT
OKAY.
I
NEED
TO
YAP.
ILOVETHISTRILOGYSFMMM
(POTENTIAL RTC WHEN I'M COHERENT ENOUGH)😭😭😭
October 28, 2025
5 MAGNIFICENT FUCKING STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ my best read of the year
I honestly don’t even know how to write a review for this book. It put me through every possible emotion, the suffering, the angst, the desperation, the anxiety about how everything would unfold. There was literally no moment to rest. This was such a beautiful and powerful ending to the trilogy. The character development was phenomenal, and I fell even more in love with Max and Tisaanah. The way they admire each other, fight side by side, and give everything for what they believe in and for each other completely destroyed me in the best way possible.
And Aefe and Caduan… my heart ached for them. Even though Caduan’s intentions weren’t the best, the fact that everything he did came from his love for Aefe just shattered me. I already miss all of these characters so much. The writing was absolutely breathtaking, the way simple things are turned into something so emotional and poetic left me speechless. You definitely need to read this series.
Just some quotes bc I don’t want to spoil anything:
“I love that every time I look at her, I find something new, like light refracting through a thousand different shades of glass.”
“I give you my soul. It’s not a perfect one. It’s a little messy. You inherit some scars. But… all the good parts are for you. From the minute you showed up at my door, all the good parts were for you.”
“You want the truth? The memories are hard, yes. But none of that scared me as much as the prospect of exactly how close I came to never seeing you again. That’s what fucking terrifies me.”
────୨ৎ────
October 22
So... I got LASIK in the middle of reading this masterpiece, so it took me a while to finish 😭 Still recovering (from the surgery and the book lol) and I’ll write my review soon when I’m fully recovered, but I can already tell you this was my best read of the year ❤️
I honestly don’t even know how to write a review for this book. It put me through every possible emotion, the suffering, the angst, the desperation, the anxiety about how everything would unfold. There was literally no moment to rest. This was such a beautiful and powerful ending to the trilogy. The character development was phenomenal, and I fell even more in love with Max and Tisaanah. The way they admire each other, fight side by side, and give everything for what they believe in and for each other completely destroyed me in the best way possible.
And Aefe and Caduan… my heart ached for them. Even though Caduan’s intentions weren’t the best, the fact that everything he did came from his love for Aefe just shattered me. I already miss all of these characters so much. The writing was absolutely breathtaking, the way simple things are turned into something so emotional and poetic left me speechless. You definitely need to read this series.
Just some quotes bc I don’t want to spoil anything:
“I love that every time I look at her, I find something new, like light refracting through a thousand different shades of glass.”
“I give you my soul. It’s not a perfect one. It’s a little messy. You inherit some scars. But… all the good parts are for you. From the minute you showed up at my door, all the good parts were for you.”
“You want the truth? The memories are hard, yes. But none of that scared me as much as the prospect of exactly how close I came to never seeing you again. That’s what fucking terrifies me.”
────୨ৎ────
October 22
So... I got LASIK in the middle of reading this masterpiece, so it took me a while to finish 😭 Still recovering (from the surgery and the book lol) and I’ll write my review soon when I’m fully recovered, but I can already tell you this was my best read of the year ❤️
October 24, 2022
4.25⭐
Something that Carissa Broadbent does exceedingly well is her development of her villains. My whole damn heart belongs to those characters. I never again want to settle for baddies with motivations I can't make heads or tales of, or who feel two-dimensional. I understood EVERYTHING they did and EVERYTHING they felt. A++
Looking back on the entire series, I wish the magic system had been more defined. It felt muddled and blurry at the edges, and while some of that was surely done on purpose because we experience the world through Tissanah's eyes within her POV chapters, learning about the world as she does, by the end significant gaps remained. Not a deal-breaker by any stretch, but a gripe nonetheless.
In sum, this series is 100% worth your time and you should absolutely give it a read.
Something that Carissa Broadbent does exceedingly well is her development of her villains. My whole damn heart belongs to those characters. I never again want to settle for baddies with motivations I can't make heads or tales of, or who feel two-dimensional. I understood EVERYTHING they did and EVERYTHING they felt. A++
Looking back on the entire series, I wish the magic system had been more defined. It felt muddled and blurry at the edges, and while some of that was surely done on purpose because we experience the world through Tissanah's eyes within her POV chapters, learning about the world as she does, by the end significant gaps remained. Not a deal-breaker by any stretch, but a gripe nonetheless.
In sum, this series is 100% worth your time and you should absolutely give it a read.
June 29, 2023
4.75 ☆’s
“You are going to die. But do not fear death. Death is a door, and though none of us can follow you through it today, you will cross its threshold knowing that the mark you have left behind will be a worthy one. This is not an end.”
Carissa Broadbent very quickly became a favourite in my romantasy author catalogue with this incredible series.
Her writing is SO incredibly engaging and magical, the depth of her character work is enviable, and the way she writes about love and friendship, grief and loss is just AH, it made my chest cavity QUIVER.
➵ “One hundred and eighty thousand days, and I thought of you in every one.”
➵ “I love you did not say enough. I love you did not say, thank you for being my home. I love you did not say, thank you for being my future.”
LIKE CMONNN??!?!?!
As the story progresses from book one, we gain another POV and this is when I became OBSESSED. The main love interests and frequent dry humour are enough to keep you gripped, but once we delved deeper into the history of the war and conflict between humans and fae, and got a taste of some delicious female rage, I could not put this shit down.
I truly think anyone who enjoys this particular genre of writing will have a great time with this series and these characters!
“You are going to die. But do not fear death. Death is a door, and though none of us can follow you through it today, you will cross its threshold knowing that the mark you have left behind will be a worthy one. This is not an end.”
Carissa Broadbent very quickly became a favourite in my romantasy author catalogue with this incredible series.
Her writing is SO incredibly engaging and magical, the depth of her character work is enviable, and the way she writes about love and friendship, grief and loss is just AH, it made my chest cavity QUIVER.
➵ “One hundred and eighty thousand days, and I thought of you in every one.”
➵ “I love you did not say enough. I love you did not say, thank you for being my home. I love you did not say, thank you for being my future.”
LIKE CMONNN??!?!?!
As the story progresses from book one, we gain another POV and this is when I became OBSESSED. The main love interests and frequent dry humour are enough to keep you gripped, but once we delved deeper into the history of the war and conflict between humans and fae, and got a taste of some delicious female rage, I could not put this shit down.
I truly think anyone who enjoys this particular genre of writing will have a great time with this series and these characters!
May 26, 2024
4.5 ⭐️This trilogy was incredible. The pacing of this book was specifically great. I love these characters with all my heart! I wasn’t expecting to cry as much as I did - Carissa is brutal (but I love her). The epilogue had me in my feels.
I’ll be thinking about this book & these characters for a long time.
I’ll be thinking about this book & these characters for a long time.
December 17, 2024
Very good end to the trilogy, made me a little sappy🥲
The pacing was so great in this book besides the battle?? It was not very epic in my opinion (IM SORRY)
One of my favorite things was in this book and I was SCREAMING Iykyk
My favorite character in all of the series is actually Moth and he deserves everything good in the world.
The pacing was so great in this book besides the battle?? It was not very epic in my opinion (IM SORRY)
One of my favorite things was in this book and I was SCREAMING Iykyk
My favorite character in all of the series is actually Moth and he deserves everything good in the world.
October 1, 2024
“How much does a memory weigh?
Too much to carry alone.”
5⭐ i am unwell! blood was spilled, and tears were shed (mine). this book destroyed me, but in a good way! what am i supposed to do now that it's done?!
the whole trilogy had kind of a different vibe from other fantasy books i've read so far, and i loved the uniqueness of it, it definitely stands out. it deserves a whole lot of more hype than this!
it had everything, love, pain, trauma, heartbreak, i laughed and cried with them, felt their pain💔 but that epilogue had my heart, i was practically sobbing😭🫶🏼
1000/10 will recommend to everyone 🙂↕️
Too much to carry alone.”
5⭐ i am unwell! blood was spilled, and tears were shed (mine). this book destroyed me, but in a good way! what am i supposed to do now that it's done?!
the whole trilogy had kind of a different vibe from other fantasy books i've read so far, and i loved the uniqueness of it, it definitely stands out. it deserves a whole lot of more hype than this!
it had everything, love, pain, trauma, heartbreak, i laughed and cried with them, felt their pain💔 but that epilogue had my heart, i was practically sobbing😭🫶🏼
1000/10 will recommend to everyone 🙂↕️
September 25, 2024
4.5⭐️
This book was my favorite of the trilogy! An absolute epic conclusion.
Max is the shining star of this series for me. He is a sweet, self aware, angel of a man. I found myself looking forward to his POVs the most!
Here’s why I can’t give this 5 stars:
- while the pacing of this book was SO MUCH better, it still felt a teeny long
- I need a longer epic final battle ok?? But this is a problem I find in most fantasy books tbh
- I really struggled to find an emotional connection to Tissanah in this book - but that’s a me problem.
- I think this trilogy could have easily been a longer duology
The epilogue put me in my grave.
Overall, I am so happy I read this series! I’d give it a solid 4⭐️, and I think it needs to be talked about more!!
SPOILERS BELOW
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I really wanted another chapter from Aefe’s perspective. I would have loved to see her and Caduan happy in the afterlife. Home girl needed a happier ending
My fav scene from the entire series was their wedding. It has me like 🥹😍🥰😭
Max just being the sweet angel he is:
“I give you my soul. It’s not a perfect one. It’s a little messy. You inherit some scars. But… all the good parts are for you. From the minute you showed up at my door, all the good parts were for you.”
This book was my favorite of the trilogy! An absolute epic conclusion.
Max is the shining star of this series for me. He is a sweet, self aware, angel of a man. I found myself looking forward to his POVs the most!
Here’s why I can’t give this 5 stars:
- while the pacing of this book was SO MUCH better, it still felt a teeny long
- I need a longer epic final battle ok?? But this is a problem I find in most fantasy books tbh
- I really struggled to find an emotional connection to Tissanah in this book - but that’s a me problem.
- I think this trilogy could have easily been a longer duology
The epilogue put me in my grave.
Overall, I am so happy I read this series! I’d give it a solid 4⭐️, and I think it needs to be talked about more!!
SPOILERS BELOW
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.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I really wanted another chapter from Aefe’s perspective. I would have loved to see her and Caduan happy in the afterlife. Home girl needed a happier ending
My fav scene from the entire series was their wedding. It has me like 🥹😍🥰😭
Max just being the sweet angel he is:
“I give you my soul. It’s not a perfect one. It’s a little messy. You inherit some scars. But… all the good parts are for you. From the minute you showed up at my door, all the good parts were for you.”
July 5, 2024
So someone flagged my review of this book for plagiarism and gr removed the review as well as the book from 'read' shelf, when in reality i had spent an hour writing my own review? And it does nothing when it comes to people plagiarising my reviews?
January 5, 2023
I'm just glad I finished this once and for all.
August 16, 2023
“tell me, little butterfly, what would you do for love?”
i’m going to need at least a few days, weeks, months even, to process the absolute perfection of this book
this trilogy succeeded all of my expectations and hit every single mark even though i have zero doubts when it comes to any of carissa broadbent’s books. this book, however, this conclusion to tisaanah and max’s story, to aefe’s and caudan’s, to nura’s, and to everyone in that beautiful, damning and magical world, just completely blew me away
the ending. oh my god, the ending. i have never cried harder in any other book that i’ve ever read than this one. these books, especially this one, were so impactful and gut and heart-wrenching, that some of the words written on these pages practically left me breathless. the writing, as always, is gorgeous and gripping. i’m already so heartbroken that i will never read anything like this again (unless i re-read these, which will probably happen at some point in the future)
i love how carissa broadbent writes about love but most of all i love how she writes journeys, whether it’s a person’s or a place’s. she writes them so well almost as if you’re living in that very moment that she’s talking about
“tell me, little butterfly, what would you do to get him back?"
"anything. everything.”
these characters are going to stick with me forever. i miss them already and it’s only been a few minutes.
and, in some ways, their ending makes me excited and hopeful that something beautiful will shape my own life and how beautiful life can truly be. to live, to live, to live
everything about this book was amazing. i loved this book so much. i have so much more to say so i may add onto this review later when more of my thoughts are gathered because this book deserves a better review from me as i’m quite bad at words lol
anyway. loved loved loved this. will keep this book and the others in my heart for a very long time
i’m going to need at least a few days, weeks, months even, to process the absolute perfection of this book
this trilogy succeeded all of my expectations and hit every single mark even though i have zero doubts when it comes to any of carissa broadbent’s books. this book, however, this conclusion to tisaanah and max’s story, to aefe’s and caudan’s, to nura’s, and to everyone in that beautiful, damning and magical world, just completely blew me away
the ending. oh my god, the ending. i have never cried harder in any other book that i’ve ever read than this one. these books, especially this one, were so impactful and gut and heart-wrenching, that some of the words written on these pages practically left me breathless. the writing, as always, is gorgeous and gripping. i’m already so heartbroken that i will never read anything like this again (unless i re-read these, which will probably happen at some point in the future)
i love how carissa broadbent writes about love but most of all i love how she writes journeys, whether it’s a person’s or a place’s. she writes them so well almost as if you’re living in that very moment that she’s talking about
“tell me, little butterfly, what would you do to get him back?"
"anything. everything.”
these characters are going to stick with me forever. i miss them already and it’s only been a few minutes.
and, in some ways, their ending makes me excited and hopeful that something beautiful will shape my own life and how beautiful life can truly be. to live, to live, to live
everything about this book was amazing. i loved this book so much. i have so much more to say so i may add onto this review later when more of my thoughts are gathered because this book deserves a better review from me as i’m quite bad at words lol
anyway. loved loved loved this. will keep this book and the others in my heart for a very long time
March 4, 2023
This book broke my brain a bit. I am so impressed.
Devastated but very impressed. This story will love rent free for many years. I look forward to many more stories from this author.
6 stars
1.5 on my spice scale
Devastated but very impressed. This story will love rent free for many years. I look forward to many more stories from this author.
6 stars
1.5 on my spice scale
October 3, 2022
WOW
I am amazed by this series. I have followed Tissanah, Max, and Aefe's journey since the beginning and I am sad to see it end.
The characters in this book went through a lot. I remember reading the first book and wondering about the necessity of Aefe's POV. Initially, it made the story disjointed and jarred me each time I read her story. At this book's conclusion, I am left with nothing but sadness for all she went through.
I have always rooted for Tissanah and Max's love story and their determination to restore their respective countries to what it was before Nura and Cauden's destruction. Aefe though went through so much.
I often read of characters who threaten to burn the world to the ground if they lose the love of their life. That character was Aefe and Cauden. They did not care about anything else but the total destruction of the humans that subjected them to so much pain. They just wanted vengeance and they did not care that they were destroying common people who had nothing to do with their suffering.
Tissanah and Max were an interesting contrast to Aefe and Cauden. They also had been through a lot, maybe not in the way that Aefe had but nonetheless they had been through some much pain that would break a normal human. Instead of the hatred and vengeance that would be expected, all they wanted was to free themselves from their oppressors.
Nura was horrible, she was a horrible queen but the author wove her in such a way that I could still feel empathy for her. She had an idea of what she wanted her kingdom to be, we were always told how good her vision of the future was. Watching her being consumed by hatred and the hunger for power that she did not care about her citizens, did not care that she was literally about to end the world, was sad to see.
In the end, this book delves into the mindset of people and shows the result of the paths each character took in their journey. It was in my opinion, a terrific book.
I am amazed by this series. I have followed Tissanah, Max, and Aefe's journey since the beginning and I am sad to see it end.
The characters in this book went through a lot. I remember reading the first book and wondering about the necessity of Aefe's POV. Initially, it made the story disjointed and jarred me each time I read her story. At this book's conclusion, I am left with nothing but sadness for all she went through.
I have always rooted for Tissanah and Max's love story and their determination to restore their respective countries to what it was before Nura and Cauden's destruction. Aefe though went through so much.
I often read of characters who threaten to burn the world to the ground if they lose the love of their life. That character was Aefe and Cauden. They did not care about anything else but the total destruction of the humans that subjected them to so much pain. They just wanted vengeance and they did not care that they were destroying common people who had nothing to do with their suffering.
Tissanah and Max were an interesting contrast to Aefe and Cauden. They also had been through a lot, maybe not in the way that Aefe had but nonetheless they had been through some much pain that would break a normal human. Instead of the hatred and vengeance that would be expected, all they wanted was to free themselves from their oppressors.
Nura was horrible, she was a horrible queen but the author wove her in such a way that I could still feel empathy for her. She had an idea of what she wanted her kingdom to be, we were always told how good her vision of the future was. Watching her being consumed by hatred and the hunger for power that she did not care about her citizens, did not care that she was literally about to end the world, was sad to see.
In the end, this book delves into the mindset of people and shows the result of the paths each character took in their journey. It was in my opinion, a terrific book.
July 26, 2024
I actually don’t know how to process existing now that this series is over. I have never read ANYTHING with the specific vibe of this series and it I am forever going to see this story as a treasure that I am grateful that I discovered.
Tisaanah and Max….they deserve the world. I will always think of them and smile🥹
I do think this book maybe could have been shorter at times, but at the same time I am still giving it 5 stars because I LOVED it. I am already excited for when I reread. Carissa Broadbent has become a favorite author and I cannot wait to read her next series!!!🌸🌷🌼🪻🌻🌾
Tisaanah and Max….they deserve the world. I will always think of them and smile🥹
I do think this book maybe could have been shorter at times, but at the same time I am still giving it 5 stars because I LOVED it. I am already excited for when I reread. Carissa Broadbent has become a favorite author and I cannot wait to read her next series!!!🌸🌷🌼🪻🌻🌾
July 30, 2023
~4.75⭐️~
July 30th: I was listening to "This Love" by Taylor Swift and "Thinking Bout You" by Ariana Grande and I just randomly remembered the ending of this book. I am now bawling my eyes out🥰
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
July 7th 2023: Why on earth was this book so sad??? WHYYY DID YOU HAVE TO MAKE ME GO THROUGH THAT SHIT???? WHAT DID I DO TO YOU TO MAKE ME DESERVE THIS
July 30th: I was listening to "This Love" by Taylor Swift and "Thinking Bout You" by Ariana Grande and I just randomly remembered the ending of this book. I am now bawling my eyes out🥰
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
July 7th 2023: Why on earth was this book so sad??? WHYYY DID YOU HAVE TO MAKE ME GO THROUGH THAT SHIT???? WHAT DID I DO TO YOU TO MAKE ME DESERVE THIS
September 4, 2023
What a beautiful ending to such an incredible book. I’m so sad it’s over but I’m so insanely happy with how it ended. So many happy and sad tears and I cannot recommend this series enough!
October 29, 2025
5🌟
”It was hard not to, when Max swept me up in his arms again, when he kissed me and smiled against my mouth, when he laid me down in the garden where two broken souls had met and built a home in each other.
Hope.”
ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT 😭 By far, the best trilogy I have ever read. It’s left an imprint on my heart & soul. God, I don’t even care that that’s dramatic because it’s TRUE, OK 😭
I cherish Max and Tisaanah more than I cherish my next breath. I love them more than I can put into words. They really are all that is good and true and REAL. Their bond and shared sense of home in each other was and is EVERYTHING. The epilogue sent me into a spiral fr. I’ve never been happier for two people in my life.
On the other end of this story…The complex feelings I felt for Aefe & Caduan… Somehow a mix between frustration and sadness and.. love. I commend Carissa for creating characters so beautifully flawed, that even in their worst moments, even when I was angry with them, I was still able to empathize with them. I truly cared so deeply for both of them. There is a line Aefe says that will stay with me forever…
“Love is worth creating for. Worth dying for.”
This scene..this moment… ugh, GOD it was fucking poetic. And yeah, I absolutely bawled my eyes out.
Honestly, I don’t think anything I say will truly encompass the depth of what this story & these characters are to me. So I’m going to leave it here.
Omg guys wait-not me crying again, right now, as I’m writing this. Help I don’t want to say goodbye 😭
Ugh
I love you, max & tisaanah. Forever🫶🏻🥹
Here come the influx of quotes……… 😘
"I love that every time I look at her, I find something new, like light refracting through a thousand different shades of glass."
"I give you my soul. It's not a perfect one. It's a little messy. You inherit some scars. But... all the good parts are for you. From the minute you showed up at my door, all the good parts were for you."
“I wanted him so much I couldn't breathe whenever I looked at him. I wanted to bridge that gap between us. I wanted him back.”
“Living was more difficult than death. The pain ate me from the inside out.
But I leaned into that heartbeat. Leaned into it and let myself fall.”
“..he felt the same, every angle and curve and swell of his body falling against mine in a way that felt like home —my home, and gods, I was never leaving, I was never letting go, I would live here, in the scent of him, in the feel of his breath against my chest, forever.”
“what had been a punch to my gut earlier became a yearning hunger pang. I could feel Max's presence as if every trace of magic inside of me reached for him.”
“Time and place and space disappeared. We were a river stretching out in all directions. We were the bodies and breaths of the soldiers above. We were the sky and the ruins and the city of Niraja in the past and the present. We were ourselves as we were ten years ago, lost, alone, and as we were now-found, together.”
“I wanted to re-familiarize myself with her-every part of her. I wanted to trace every scar, the outlines of every shade of her skin, the curve of every muscle or swell of flesh. I wanted to lose myself in her in every sense. I wanted it so much that it overwhelmed me, like a starving man before a feast.”
“If you ever have to guess what I want, or what is best for me, it is you. Alright? I have made that decision already. I do not make it lightly. Don't disrespect that by claiming that you know better for me than I do. I have made bad decisions before. But you are not, never have been, and never will be one of them. It is always you."
“I shattered into a million pieces. I was nothing but this, but him, and the oblivion we shared. I didn't even care if I was ever put back together.”
”'I love you' did not say enough.
'I love you' did not say, thank you for being my home.
'I love you' did not say, thank you for being my future.
But all at once, I felt those things, so overwhelmingly that I couldn't speak. And the only thing I could think to choke out were those words, "I love you," even though there was so much they left unsaid.”
"You want the truth? The memories are hard, yes. But none of that scared me as much as the prospect of exactly how close I came to never seeing you again.
That's what fucking terrifies me."
🩷 "It begins with two souls who find themselves
suddenly, utterly alone."
"It ends with two souls who create a future together." 🩷
”It was hard not to, when Max swept me up in his arms again, when he kissed me and smiled against my mouth, when he laid me down in the garden where two broken souls had met and built a home in each other.
Hope.”
ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT 😭 By far, the best trilogy I have ever read. It’s left an imprint on my heart & soul. God, I don’t even care that that’s dramatic because it’s TRUE, OK 😭
I cherish Max and Tisaanah more than I cherish my next breath. I love them more than I can put into words. They really are all that is good and true and REAL. Their bond and shared sense of home in each other was and is EVERYTHING. The epilogue sent me into a spiral fr. I’ve never been happier for two people in my life.
On the other end of this story…The complex feelings I felt for Aefe & Caduan… Somehow a mix between frustration and sadness and.. love. I commend Carissa for creating characters so beautifully flawed, that even in their worst moments, even when I was angry with them, I was still able to empathize with them. I truly cared so deeply for both of them. There is a line Aefe says that will stay with me forever…
“Love is worth creating for. Worth dying for.”
This scene..this moment… ugh, GOD it was fucking poetic. And yeah, I absolutely bawled my eyes out.
Honestly, I don’t think anything I say will truly encompass the depth of what this story & these characters are to me. So I’m going to leave it here.
Omg guys wait-not me crying again, right now, as I’m writing this. Help I don’t want to say goodbye 😭
Ugh
I love you, max & tisaanah. Forever🫶🏻🥹
Here come the influx of quotes……… 😘
"I love that every time I look at her, I find something new, like light refracting through a thousand different shades of glass."
"I give you my soul. It's not a perfect one. It's a little messy. You inherit some scars. But... all the good parts are for you. From the minute you showed up at my door, all the good parts were for you."
“I wanted him so much I couldn't breathe whenever I looked at him. I wanted to bridge that gap between us. I wanted him back.”
“Living was more difficult than death. The pain ate me from the inside out.
But I leaned into that heartbeat. Leaned into it and let myself fall.”
“..he felt the same, every angle and curve and swell of his body falling against mine in a way that felt like home —my home, and gods, I was never leaving, I was never letting go, I would live here, in the scent of him, in the feel of his breath against my chest, forever.”
“what had been a punch to my gut earlier became a yearning hunger pang. I could feel Max's presence as if every trace of magic inside of me reached for him.”
“Time and place and space disappeared. We were a river stretching out in all directions. We were the bodies and breaths of the soldiers above. We were the sky and the ruins and the city of Niraja in the past and the present. We were ourselves as we were ten years ago, lost, alone, and as we were now-found, together.”
“I wanted to re-familiarize myself with her-every part of her. I wanted to trace every scar, the outlines of every shade of her skin, the curve of every muscle or swell of flesh. I wanted to lose myself in her in every sense. I wanted it so much that it overwhelmed me, like a starving man before a feast.”
“If you ever have to guess what I want, or what is best for me, it is you. Alright? I have made that decision already. I do not make it lightly. Don't disrespect that by claiming that you know better for me than I do. I have made bad decisions before. But you are not, never have been, and never will be one of them. It is always you."
“I shattered into a million pieces. I was nothing but this, but him, and the oblivion we shared. I didn't even care if I was ever put back together.”
”'I love you' did not say enough.
'I love you' did not say, thank you for being my home.
'I love you' did not say, thank you for being my future.
But all at once, I felt those things, so overwhelmingly that I couldn't speak. And the only thing I could think to choke out were those words, "I love you," even though there was so much they left unsaid.”
"You want the truth? The memories are hard, yes. But none of that scared me as much as the prospect of exactly how close I came to never seeing you again.
That's what fucking terrifies me."
🩷 "It begins with two souls who find themselves
suddenly, utterly alone."
"It ends with two souls who create a future together." 🩷
October 30, 2025
"Tell me, little butterfly, what would you do for love?"
Wow. I knew I was going to love this series when I started it, since I have loved everything else Broadbent has written, but I did not expect to love it this much. The amount of time she must have put into this series is a testament to just how amazing it/she is. She really thought about EVERYTHING.
The world was so complex and yet so easy to follow. The characters were well planned and greatly put to attention. The complex magic system literally speaks for itself. I would put this series with its complexity and structure up there with brandon sanderson books. Yeah. I said it. Fight me.
I genuinely have nothing bad to say. How do I even move on after this? I will be thinking about Tisaanah and Maxantarius for, well...forever. I love them with everything I have in me. This was a series on the longer side with it's word count, but every word was worth it. I would read 300 more pages of this. I love the conclusion Broadbent wrapped up. The ending was incredible and heart wrenching.
The only thing I wish for would be for Broadbent to finish the prequels she wanted to write. We only got one out of four that she planned to do. If you love the Crowns of Nyaxia duets, I would very highly recommend this series. Chefs. freakin. kiss.
Buddy reading with my yap bestie AC❤ Thank you girl for reading this series with me. You made the pain so much easier to handle 🥰❤❤
Wow. I knew I was going to love this series when I started it, since I have loved everything else Broadbent has written, but I did not expect to love it this much. The amount of time she must have put into this series is a testament to just how amazing it/she is. She really thought about EVERYTHING.
The world was so complex and yet so easy to follow. The characters were well planned and greatly put to attention. The complex magic system literally speaks for itself. I would put this series with its complexity and structure up there with brandon sanderson books. Yeah. I said it. Fight me.
I genuinely have nothing bad to say. How do I even move on after this? I will be thinking about Tisaanah and Maxantarius for, well...forever. I love them with everything I have in me. This was a series on the longer side with it's word count, but every word was worth it. I would read 300 more pages of this. I love the conclusion Broadbent wrapped up. The ending was incredible and heart wrenching.
The only thing I wish for would be for Broadbent to finish the prequels she wanted to write. We only got one out of four that she planned to do. If you love the Crowns of Nyaxia duets, I would very highly recommend this series. Chefs. freakin. kiss.
Buddy reading with my yap bestie AC❤ Thank you girl for reading this series with me. You made the pain so much easier to handle 🥰❤❤
May 16, 2024
approximately 2000 pages of this series and I still want more. I'm going to miss this world SO much 😭.
I have to admit, I was a little scared of how the series was going to wrap up (specifically, ), but I shouldn't have been worried. everything was PERFECT. better than I could have hoped for.
Carissa is nothing short of brilliant for creating this world. this series will stay with me for a really long time, and I truly hope it gets more recognition. it's a work of art.
I have to admit, I was a little scared of how the series was going to wrap up (specifically, ), but I shouldn't have been worried. everything was PERFECT. better than I could have hoped for.
Carissa is nothing short of brilliant for creating this world. this series will stay with me for a really long time, and I truly hope it gets more recognition. it's a work of art.
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